Lord of the Rings has witchcraft in it, yet I and several other Christians I know enjoy the story. My family owns the books and the movies.

As far as Harry Potter goes, I think it’s more of a personal thing between you, God, and your parents. I would recommend that you submit this to God and talk to your parents about the issue. If you don’t feel at peace with the idea of getting into Harry Potter, then don’t do it. I wouldn’t venture to say that it is absolutely wrong to read the books, and neither would I say that it is right. I’ve never read the books or watched the movies, so I don’t know exactly what they entail and promote.

Well the way I see it, just because I love watching the movies and loved the book doesn’t mean that I believe in that stuff or am supporting witch craft. If you don’t feel comfortable with reading the books or watching the movies than that’s fine but I don’t see anything wrong with it. Plus it’s a great series.

I have not read Harry Potter so I can’t say what the source of the magic is in that series, but when it comes to magic and fantasy books and movies, my belief is that witchcraft is wrong because witchcraft is calling on demonic powers to do something. If the source of the magic in a book is a demonic power, then it’s witchcraft (and, if shown as a good thing, it probably isn’t a good book or movie for a Christian). If the source of the magic in the book is a natural, neutral power that exists in that world but not in ours and has no demonic connection, then I don’t consider that to be witchcraft and don’t have a problem with it. That being said, two other things: If your parents have an issue with it, you do have to respect that, even if you respectfully disagree with them, and if reading books with magic is against your conscience, then you shouldn’t read them.

@marcy- in HP, it’s like a talent. it’s something that’s in you, just like the ability to breathe. I think it’s a personal thing. For some people, it’s hard for them not to get sucked into the witchcraft element, so it isn’t good for them. But for me, it’s fine. The thing about HP is it isn’t about the magic. It’s about friendship and bravery and good versus evil… Also, Rowling didn’t write it with any intention of it being against God. In fact, she’s a christian!

^^ What loveoutloud said. The magic is seen as a gift- some are born a witch/ wizard, some aren’t. It’s not something they can learn, and so the books aren’t teaching kids how to do magic.

I’ve met a Wiccan. I’ve heard her talk about her beliefs and why she does witchcraft. Harry Potter was nothing like that.

Harry Potter teaches that we need to fight against evil. It teaches that friends need to stick together, even when times get tough. It teaches that education is important. It teaches us to be brave, even when we are scarred out of our mind.

It also teaches things I don’t agree with, however. For instance, there is a quote that goes something like “Evil can never truly be conquered. All we can do is subdue it for a while” -which is untrue, because Jesus conqured evil once and for all on the cross. So I have an issue with that philosophy. I also don’t agree with Rowling’s view on death.

But besides that, I think the HP series is excellent. It is beautifully written, and the characters are well developed.

I didn’t read the series until I was 18. I’m glad I didn’t read them until then, because by this point I knew how to analyze literature and pick out themes and the author’s worldview (thank you AP English and Philosophy classes!). I haven’t seen the movies yet, mainly because I want to reread the series a few times first.

I think that HP can be good to read/watch BECAUSE lots of non-believers are familiar with the series. It can be a great way to gain common ground with them, and talk about the good themes, and perhaps eventually turn the conversation to Christ.

I feel like the problem some of you ladies are having right now is nothing more than the choice of words that Rowling uses. Based on what some of y’all have said, if Rowling had used the word “magician” or something with a better connotation and not mentioned witchcraft, y’all would have been perfectly fine with the book. This wording, in my opinion, is not a reason to avoid the book. If there are other things in the books that you don’t like that is fine, but when you actually read the books (or watch the movies), you will realize that the “witchcraft” that Harry Potter and his friends practice is not what most of y’all are thinking of. It has nothing whatsoever to do with demons or outside forces. It is just fantasy like so many other books and movies that are viewed as perfectly ok. That being said, it is also very important to respect your parents. I did not read the HP books until I was older for this very reason.

My parents have banned it from the house, and I trust their judgment. I do usually look into things a little, though, which is what i’m doing now. They do make mistakes, but I respect them, and don’t want to not follow the rules. I also know this is something they have very seriously checked out before they said no. They do make mistakes, and if I go up to them and show them why I think they ought to look into more, (Example-Hunger Games) they tend to at least look into it a little bit more. Based off of this though I don’t think I even want to look into it haha. I know my parents have, and they’ve come to the conclusion that LOTR is okay, and not HP. HP honestly doesn’t sound like the kind of series i’d like anyway haha.

Reading about witchcraft is not bad. You’re just reading, not doing. I can guarantee that you’ve read about murder, lying, stealing, rape and incest. Things way worse than witchcraft. CAUSE IT’S IN DA BIBLE.

Reading something doesn’t make you think a bad thing is okay, and that you should do it. 😛

As a huge Potterhead, I can say that, in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with the Harry Potter. Actually, it is nothing but a good impression on kids. The whole message of the series is doing what’s right, not what’s easy. There is witchcraft, but the good magic, such as the magic Harry and his friends practice, has no demonic undertones. Villians, those who practice dark magic with the intent of causing harm, are always portrayed in a bad light, and are defeated in the end.

This is my opinion. You are free to make your own; it is all up to you to interpret what God says is evil and what is not.